august spies
TMF Master
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Lawyer Arrested for Wearing a 'Peace' T-Shirt
Tue March 4, 2003 07:55 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawyer was arrested late Monday and charged with trespassing at a public mall in the state of New York after refusing to take off a T-shirt advocating peace that he had just purchased at the mall.According to the criminal complaint filed on Monday, Stephen Downs was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Give Peace A Chance" that he had just purchased from a vendor inside the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, near Albany."I was in the food court with my son when I was confronted by two security guards and ordered to either take off the T-shirt or leave the mall," said Downs.When Downs refused the security officers' orders, police from the town of Guilderland were called and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs, charged with trespassing "in that he knowingly enter(ed) or remain(ed) unlawfully upon premises," the complaint read.Downs said police tried to convince him he was wrong in his actions by refusing to remove the T-shirt because the mall "was like a private house and that I was acting poorly."I told them the analogy was not good and I was then hauled off to night court where I was arraigned after pleading not guilty and released on my own recognizance," Downs told Reuters in a telephone interview.Downs is the director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against judges and can admonish, censure or remove judges found to have engaged in misconduct.Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment.Downs is due back in court for a hearing on March 17.He could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
commentary:
weather people want to admit it or not our freedoms are quickly being flushed down the toilet. the patriot act and proposed patriot act 2 are dangerous and have to be stopped. the government has always spied on political opposition and harassed people as well. but now it is getting rediculous.
if bush could kill every signe person who disagrees with him, i know he wouldnt hesitance, heck, his dad did it in el salvador. however people in america are really brought up believing they live in a free country, but people like bush are going to push the public as far as he can.
and of course the media is demonizing any opposition to the government, its obvious people are scared of anyone and everything thats not sheepishly following bush. they will continue to push this culture of fear so they can take away as much freedom as possible, we must not let this happen.
Tue March 4, 2003 07:55 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawyer was arrested late Monday and charged with trespassing at a public mall in the state of New York after refusing to take off a T-shirt advocating peace that he had just purchased at the mall.According to the criminal complaint filed on Monday, Stephen Downs was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words "Give Peace A Chance" that he had just purchased from a vendor inside the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, near Albany."I was in the food court with my son when I was confronted by two security guards and ordered to either take off the T-shirt or leave the mall," said Downs.When Downs refused the security officers' orders, police from the town of Guilderland were called and he was arrested and taken away in handcuffs, charged with trespassing "in that he knowingly enter(ed) or remain(ed) unlawfully upon premises," the complaint read.Downs said police tried to convince him he was wrong in his actions by refusing to remove the T-shirt because the mall "was like a private house and that I was acting poorly."I told them the analogy was not good and I was then hauled off to night court where I was arraigned after pleading not guilty and released on my own recognizance," Downs told Reuters in a telephone interview.Downs is the director of the Albany Office of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints of misconduct against judges and can admonish, censure or remove judges found to have engaged in misconduct.Calls to the Guilderland police and district attorney, Anthony Cardona and to officials at the mall were not returned for comment.Downs is due back in court for a hearing on March 17.He could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
commentary:
weather people want to admit it or not our freedoms are quickly being flushed down the toilet. the patriot act and proposed patriot act 2 are dangerous and have to be stopped. the government has always spied on political opposition and harassed people as well. but now it is getting rediculous.
if bush could kill every signe person who disagrees with him, i know he wouldnt hesitance, heck, his dad did it in el salvador. however people in america are really brought up believing they live in a free country, but people like bush are going to push the public as far as he can.
and of course the media is demonizing any opposition to the government, its obvious people are scared of anyone and everything thats not sheepishly following bush. they will continue to push this culture of fear so they can take away as much freedom as possible, we must not let this happen.
